SNHU gets OK to use off-campus buildings

By RYAN O'CONNORUnion Leader Correspondent

A month after initially rejecting a similar proposal, town planners this week gave the thumbs up to Southern New Hampshire University to use two off-campus buildings for school-related purposes. (Ryan O'Connor)

HOOKSETT — A month after initially rejecting a similar proposal, town planners this week gave the thumbs up to Southern New Hampshire University to use two off-campus buildings for school-related purposes.

The planning board approved a plan to use the former 30,000-square-foot CB Sullivan building at 15 W. Alice Ave. as temporary office space for a year.

Jeffrey Kevan of TF Moran Inc. said the space will be used for IT and online staff while other university buildings are being renovated.

Assistant Town Planner Carolyn Cronin said the building housed 103 employees when it was operated by CB Sullivan. She said SNHU expects a similar number of workers to use the facility, although she noted the exact number is fluid.

“(SNHU) brought (the planning board) more information on traffic projections, number of employees, that sort of thing,” said Cronin. “Both requests were approved with some conditions associated with the music building in terms of sound levels and number of hours they can use it.”

The school was granted permission to use the warehouse at 19 Alice Ave. as a temporary practice space for its music program under the conditions that practice time doesn’t exceed 20 hours a week and the sound is not to exceed 75 decibels at the property line.

The hum of a running soda machine is about 55 decibels, said Cronin.

“They agreed to measure the sound once the students start using the facility, then determine if any noise reducing measures need to be implemented in the building,” she said.

In addition, SNHU is planning to tear up an existing parking lot on North River Road this summer and replace it with a grassy campus quad.